More Color

Color hue is important in designing a garden.  So is the intensity of the hue.  Early this spring I placed three yarrow plants (achillea yarrow), in a section of border that is dominated by pastel shades.  I thought their yellow  flowers and silvery foliage, would look nice against the phlox and its white flowers.  The yarrow bloomed beautifully, and was very bright yellow - too bright for the spot.

The intense yellow dominated the space; my eye kept jumping to the yarrow, and was not moving around the border. 

I moved the yarrow to a section of border that has vibrant colors. 

 

The yarrow looks much better in its new spot, next to the brilliant orange flowers of  asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed).

Next time, an evaluation of the season.

Color, Round 1

There are volumes written, and yet to be written, about color in the garden.  I will write about what I think is the most useful.

First, a few definitions.  Hue, is what a color is at its most basic:  red is a hue; pink is a tint of the hue red (a hue which has had white added to it.)  Burgundy is a shade of the hue red (a hue which has had black added to it.)

Below is a 12 hue color wheel - the one that I find the most helpful in my garden design.

Notice the way the colors are arranged.  Each color is opposite - or 180 degrees away from - its complement, or color which does not contain any of its opposite.  For instance, yellow is opposite violet.  There is no yellow in violet - violet is a combination of red and blue.

Complements are important in all color design, for they give the design balance, which the eye is always looking for.  An unsettling situation occurs when hues are used that are almost complements, for example, yellow-orange and violet.  This combination can (doesn't always) create simultaneous contrast.  In this case, the eye keeps hunting for balance which is almost there, but not quite.  Simultaneous contrast can most easily be seen in Op Art, where the image created can appear to be moving.  This phenomenon does not usually happen in the garden because there is so much green around.  The way to defuse simultaneous contrast is to add another color.

You can also use colors that are neither complements nor near complements.  Such a scheme might include red, yellow, and blue.  This combination would be boring if you were just to use these three hues, as you might in a graphic design.  This combination is less boring in a garden because of the presence of so much green.  The green actually helps tie the colors together because green contains yellow and blue, and is the complement of red.

Next time, I will write about intensity of color.

The Cone of Vision

The cone of vision is a concept I learned about in an illustration class.  Understanding it helps the artist create realistic scenes because it captures approximately what your eye can see without moving your head.  (Imagine drawing  a fifteen degree line from your eye to both the right and left of your eye - that is about what your cone of vision will be.) You can use it to design gardens that are unified and pleasing.

If you have a garden that is open to the street and not obscured by trees, buildings, and hills,and if the garden is first seen from far away, the cone of vision is large.  That is, more can be seen even though the angle does not change. A garden seen from far away should have a unified theme, feeling, or color scheme.  This garden will probably also be seen at an intermediate and close distance.  Use variety in color, foliage, and bloom time to make the garden interesting from these distances as well.

People who plan municipal gardens along streets use the cone of vision to design gardens that will make a big impact when people drive by in cars.  Most people are going to get a very quick view of the garden, and usually from specific angles.  A garden might first be viewed as a curve is rounded - perhaps shrubs will be placed so as not to be parallel to the street - but at an angle to it - giving the best view. The municipal gardener does not need to invest in a big assortment of plants - just the opposite.  Too much variety will confuse the viewer's eye and create an unpleasant experience.

Small gardens, such as those found in urban townhomes have a limited cone of vision.  Here, variety is important.  Too much of the same plant is boring and depressing.  Different  foliage types, plant shapes (tall, rounded, pendulous,,,), foliage color, and bloom time should be used.  Just make sure that you help the eye move through and around the garden.

A third type is where the garden is seen  up-close and  intermediate distances.  I have included pictures  from one of my borders to help illustrate how I have used cone of vision.

The first picture shows part of the garden as you approach it.  A rhododendron obscures the rest of the border.

 
This view includes some pretty irises - but you have to keep moving to see more.  This area is a tease. It should encourage people to look for more garden.

This next picture shows what you see as you proceed around the bend.

There is more to see, and it is quite pleasing.

As you continue to walk, you can look at one section of the garden from fairly close.

This part of the border has a pleasant color scheme and good foliage variety.  Notice the dwarf Alberta spruce to the left of the picture. It is an important design element, as can be seen in the next and final photo.

That same Alberta spruce can be seen in the distance now.  It helps break up the border into "rooms".  The first "room", all the way to the left, will soon have lots of hot colors - bright oranges, yellows, and yellow oranges.  The second "room", the one that you see in the above two photos, has a calmer, pastel palate.  The third "room", created by the placement of another Alberta spruce, is one with shade loving plants.  All three "rooms" have a different feel.  It would have looked funny to have "hot" colors next to pastels next to muted shade lovers.  Separating the areas with shrubs lets you look at the entire border and find it satisfying, rather than jarring.

Next time, how to use color to create balance in a border.